Observation deck
Appearance

An observation deck, observation platform, or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure, such as a skyscraper or observation tower. Observation decks are sometimes enclosed from weather, and a few may include coin-operated telescopes for viewing distant features.[citation needed]
List of public observation decks
[edit]Rank | Name | Completion Year | Type | City | Deck height (m) | Total height (m) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Burj Khalifa | 2010 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
585[1] | 829.8 | Floors 152-154 (opened 2019). Additional decks on floor 148 (555m, opened 2014) and 124-125 (452m), both respectively the world's highest observation deck at their opening. |
2 | Shanghai Tower | 2015 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
562[2] | 632 | 121st floor; decks are also on 118th and 119th floors. |
3 | Ping An Finance Centre | 2017 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
562[2] | 599.1 | 115th floor (opened on February 10, 2018). |
4 | Merdeka 118 | 2022 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
510 | 678.9 | |
5 | Canton Tower | 2010 | Steel tower | ![]() |
488 | 604 | |
6 | Lotte World Tower | 2017 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
486 | 555 | |
Abraj Al Bait | 2011 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
486 | 601 | ||
8 | Shanghai World Financial Center | 2008 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
474[3] | 492.3 | 100th floor, decks also on levels 94 & 97. |
9 | Tokyo Skytree | 2012 | Steel tower | ![]() |
451.2 | 634 | Three additional observation decks at 340m, 345m, and 350m. |
10 | Taipei 101 | 2004 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
449.2 | 508.2 | The 101st floor indoor/outdoor rooftop observation deck opened to the public on June 14, 2019.[4] Two additional observation decks, outdoor on the 91st-floor and indoor on the 89th floor at 383.2 metres (1,257 ft).. |
11 | CN Tower | 1976 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
446.7 | 553.3 | Two additional observation decks at 342 m (outdoor) & 346 m (indoor). |
12 | Willis Tower | 1974 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
412.7 | 527.3 | 103rd floor; it is the highest observation deck (skydeck) and highest skywalk (skydeck glass balconies) in the United States [5][6][7][8] |
13 | Sky100, International Commerce Centre | 2011 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
393 | 484 | 100th floor; 360-degree indoor observation deck. |
14 | One World Trade Center | 2014 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
386.6 | 541.3 | Observation deck on the 100th, 101st and 102nd floors. |
15 | Landmark 81 | 2019 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
382 | 461 | Observation decks on 79th, 80th and 81st floors. |
16 | Petronas Towers | 1998 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
370 | 451.9 | Observation deck on 86th floor of tower 2; in addition there is the skybridge between the two towers on 41st and 42nd floors at 170 m. |
17 | Empire State Building | 1931 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
369[9] | 448.7 | 102nd floor; additional 86th floor deck (320 m). |
18 | Iconic Tower | 2023 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
360 | 394 | Observations on 74th, 75th and 76th floors. |
19 | Lakhta Center | 2021 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
357 | 462 | Observations on 84th, 85th 86th and 87th floors. |
20 | Oriental Pearl Tower | 1994 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
351 | 467.9 | 15 observation levels, the highest one being outdoors |
21 | The Strat | 1996 | Concrete Tower | ![]() |
350 | 350.2 | Tallest observation tower in the U.S. |
22 | Tuntex Sky Tower | 1997 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
341 | 347.5 | 74th floor. |
23 | Jin Mao Tower | 1998 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
340.1 | 420.5 | 88th floor. |
24 | 30 Hudson Yards | 2020 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
340 | 387 | Observation decks on 100th and 101st floors. |
Ostankino Tower | 1967 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
340 | 540.1 | Indoor deck is at 337 m. | |
26 | John Hancock Center | 1969 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
313.8 | 343.5 | 94th floor. |
27 | Milad Tower | 2007 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
312 | 435 | Top level. |
28 | China World Trade Center Tower III | 2010 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
311.8 | 330 | 81st floor. |
29 | One Vanderbilt | 2021 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
310 | 427 | Observations on 62nd and 63rd floors. |
Ciel Tower | 2024 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
310 | 366 | Observation deck on 81nd, 82rd floors, 76th floor (290 m) and 60th floor (248 m). | |
31 | Shun Hing Square | 1996 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
298.1 | 384 | |
32 | US Bank Tower | 1989 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
297 | 310 | 69th (indoor and outdoor observation) and 70th floors (skyslide and events) CLOSED. |
33 | Kingdom Centre | 2002 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
290 | 302 | 41st floor. |
34 | Abeno Harukas | 2014 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
288 | 300 | 58th–60th floor (top floor). |
35 | Zifeng Tower | 2010 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
287 | 450 | |
36 | Eureka Tower | 2007 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
285 | 297.3 | Skydeck 88 is at a height of 285 m. |
37 | King Power MahaNakhon | 2018 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
281.6 | 314 | Observation deck on 74th, 76th, and 78th floors. |
Etihad Towers (Tower 2) | 2011 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
281.6 | 305.3 | Observation deck at 300 is located on 75th floor. | |
39 | Eiffel Tower | 1889 | Wrought iron lattice tower | ![]() |
276.1 | 330 | 3rd floor. |
40 | Menara Kuala Lumpur | 1996 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
276 | 421 | |
41 | Columbia Center | 1985 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
275 | 284 | 73rd floor. |
42 | Yokohama Landmark | 1993 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
273 | 296 | 69th floor. |
43 | One Liberty Place | 1987 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
269 | 288 | 57th floor. |
44 | Bank of America Plaza (Dallas) | 1985 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
268.4 | 281 | 71st floor; additional on 70th floor at 264.6 metres (868 ft). |
45 | JPMorgan Chase Tower | 1982 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
268.2 | 305.4 | 60th floor. |
46 | Sydney Tower | 1981 | Steel Tower | ![]() |
268 | 309 | Main indoor observation deck; outdoor skywalk attraction on roof is located at 279 meters. |
47 | Gran Torre Santiago | 2013 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
261 | 300 | Observation deck named Sky Costanera is located on floors 61 and 62. |
48 | GE Building | 1933 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
259.1 | 259.1 | 70th floor ("Top of the Rock"). |
49 | Tianjin Tower | 1991 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
257 | 415.2 | |
50 | 40 Wall Street | 1929 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
255 | 283 | |
51 | 22 Bishopsgate | 2020 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
254 | 278 | Tallest free observation deck in Europe on the 58th floor. |
52 | Osaka Prefectural Government Sakishima Building | 1995 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
252 | 256 | |
53 | Etihad Towers (Tower 1)[10] | 2011 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
251.2 | 277.6 | |
54 | 63 Building | 1985 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
249 | 250 | 60th floor. |
55 | Midland Square | 2007 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
247 | 247 | 47th floor. |
56 | Lotus Tower | 2019 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
245 | 356 | |
57 | The Shard | 2013 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
244.8 | 306 | 72nd floor. |
58 | Central Radio & TV Tower | 1992 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
238 | 405 | |
59 | Sunshine 60 | 1978 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
237.6 | 239.8 | |
60 | Federation Tower (Tower West) | 2008 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
235[11] | 252 | 62nd floor. |
61 | TK Elevator Test Tower | 2017 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
232[12] | 246 | 30th floor (indoor and outdoor). |
62 | Q1 | 2005 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
230 | 323 | 77th floor (SkyPoint), with the function hall on the 78th[specify]. |
West Pearl Tower | 2006 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
230 | 339 | ||
Varso Tower | 2023 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
230 | 310 | 50th and 53rd floor. | |
65 | Roppongi Hills Mori Tower | 2003 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
229.3 | 238 | 52nd floor (indoor) and 54th floor (roof-deck). |
66 | Taipei Nan Shan Plaza | 2018 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
228.5 | 272 | 46th floor (indoor). |
67 | Europaturm | 1979 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
227 | 337.5 | Since 1999, the Europaturm has been closed to the public. |
68 | Tokyo Tower | 1958 | Steel truss tower | ![]() |
223.5 | 332.6 | 6th floor. |
69 | Macau Tower | 2001 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
223 | 338 | |
70 | Sky Tower | 1997 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
220 | 328 | Skydeck observation deck on 60th floor. |
71 | Tour Montparnasse | 1972 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
209 | 209 | |
72 | Fernsehturm Berlin | 1969 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
207 | 368 | |
73 | Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building | 1990 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
202 | 243.4 | |
74 | Main Tower | 1999 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
200 | 240 | |
Marina Bay Sands | 2010 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
200 | 200 | ||
76 | Olympiaturm | 1968 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
192 | 291 | |
77 | Mohammed VI Tower | 2023 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
190 | 250 | Observation deck on 54th and 55th floor. |
78 | Vysotsky | 2011 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
186 | 188.3 | Observation deck was opened on 3 May 2012.[13] |
79 | Bitexco Financial Tower | 2010 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
181 | 262.5 | 47th floor. |
80 | Tower of the Americas | 1968 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
176 | 229 | |
81 | Rheinturm | 1979 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
170 | 240.5 | |
Umeda Sky Building | 1993 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
170 | 173 | ||
Tallinn TV Tower | 1980 | Tower | ![]() |
170 | 314 | ||
84 | Donauturm | 1964 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
169.4 | 252 | |
85 | N Seoul Tower | 1975 | Steel tower | ![]() |
168.3 | 236.7 | Tower sits atop Namsan Mountain. |
86 | Vilnius TV Tower | 1980 | Tower | ![]() |
165 | 326.5 | |
87 | Space Needle | 1962 | Steel tower | ![]() |
158.5 | 184.4 | |
89 | Calgary Tower | 1968 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
157.5 | 190.8 | |
90 | Fernsehturm Stuttgart | 1956 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
153 | 216.6 | |
Çamlıca Tower | 2020 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
153 | 369 | ||
92 | Avala Tower | 2009 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
135 | 204.5 | |
93 | Fukuoka Tower | 1989 | Tower | ![]() |
123 | 234 | |
94 | Kuwait viewing sphere | 1979 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
120 | 187 | (1990 Liberation Tower of ~300 m is not open to public). |
95 | Palace of Culture and Science | 1955 | Multi-function | ![]() |
114 | 237 | Observation deck on 30th floor. |
96 | Spinnaker Tower | 2005 | Tower | ![]() |
110 | 170 | |
97 | Millennium Center 2 office tower restaurant | 2016 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
105 | 108 | |
98 | Kyoto Tower | 1964 | Tower | ![]() |
100 | 131 | |
Nagoya TV Tower | 1954 | Tower | ![]() |
100 | 180 | ||
100 | Tashkent Tower | 1985 | Tower | ![]() |
97 | 375 | |
101 | Snezhanka Tower, Pamporovo, Bulgaria | 1978 | Concrete tower | ![]() |
93 | 156 | |
102 | Kobe Port Tower | 1963 | Tower | ![]() |
90.8 | 108 | |
103 | Sapporo TV Tower | 1957 | Tower | ![]() |
90 | 147.2 | |
104 | Tsūtenkaku | 1956 | Tower | ![]() |
87.5 | 108 | |
105 | City-Hochhaus Leipzig | 1972 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
120 | 142.5 | 31st floor. |
106 | Nebraska State Capitol | 1930 | Skyscraper | ![]() |
75 | 120 | 14th floor. |
107 | Arc de Triomphe | 1836 | Monument | ![]() |
50 | 50 | Rooftop terrace. |
List of highest observation decks by type
[edit]Type | Name and Location | Constructed | Height | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Observation Skywalk over vertical cliff free drop | ”Step into the Void” glass skywalk, Aiguille du Midi peak, The Alps, France[14][15] | 2013 | 1,035 m (3,396 ft) | |
Observation deck inside a spire | Merdeka 118, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia[2] | 2023 | 566 m (1,857 ft) | |
Enclosed observation deck on high-rise building | Shanghai Tower, Shanghai and Ping An Finance Centre, Shenzhen, China [2] | 2015 and 2017 | 562 m (1,844 ft) | |
Outdoor observation deck on high-rise building | Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE[2] | 2014 | 555.7 m (1,823 ft) | |
Skywalk over (artificial) waterfall free drop | Sky Corridor Waterfall Walkway, Huangteng Gorge, Guangdong, China [16] | 2018 | 500 m (1,640 ft) | |
Observation deck on tower[2] | Canton Tower, Guangzhou, China | 2011 | 488 m (1,601 ft) | |
Skywalk over high-rise building | Skydeck (The Ledge) observation deck glass balconies, Willis Tower, Chicago, USA [2] | 2009 | 412.4 m (1,353 ft) | |
Skywalk over bridge | Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge, Zhangjiajie, China [17] | 2016 | 300 m (984 ft) | |
Skywalk over glacier | Glacier Skywalk, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada [18] | 2014 | 280 m (919 ft) |
Under construction
[edit]- 2028 (est) Burj Azizi, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 649 m, Level 130
- 2028 (est) Jeddah Tower, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 637 m, Level 157
- Unknown[19] Goldin Finance 117, Tianjin, China. 578.7 m, Level 116
- 2023 (est.) Merdeka 118, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 517.7 m , Level 117 (Spire observation level at 566 m)[20]
- 2026 (est) Torre Rise, Monterrey, Mexico. 354 m, Level 93 and 365 m, Level 96
- 2028 (est.) Torch Tower, Tokyo, Japan. 352 m, Level 55
- 2027 (est) Taipei Twin Towers, Taipei, Taiwan. 347 m, Level 73
Approved
- 2025 (est.) Signature Tower Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia. 515.8 m, Level 111
- 2030 (est.) Millennium Tower, Frankfurt, Germany. 280 m, Level 67[21]
See also List of tallest buildings and structures in the world#World's highest observation deck
Observation deck gallery
[edit]-
General view of Paris from the rooftop terrace of the Arc de Triomphe, c. 1840.
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The 10 m observation deck of Ronda, Spain, overlooks the Depression of Ronda plain over 100 m below.
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An observation deck place in Rokko Garden Terrace, Mount Rokkō, Kobe, Japan.
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An observation deck in West Berlin with a view of Potsdamer Platz on the other side of the Berlin Wall, 1977. At the bottom of the steps a placard shows what the square looked like in 1929.
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Brooklyn Bridge as viewed from the One World Observatory in New York City.
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View from the Shanghai Tower observation deck.
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Visitors on the observation deck of the Skylon Tower, which overlooks Niagara Falls.
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The observation deck from the TK Elevator Test Tower, which overlooks Germany's Black Forest and the Alps.
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Glass balconies attached to the St Eusebius Church in Arnhem, Netherlands.
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Footage of the panoramic views during an 1898 ascent of the Eiffel Tower by the Lumière brothers.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "World's highest lounge opens in Dubai". TimeOut Dubai. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g ctbuh. "World's Highest Observation Decks". www.ctbuh.org. Archived from the original on 28 October 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
- ^ "Shanghai World Financial Center -SWFC- | Official site of Shanghai Financial Center". www.swfc-shanghai.com. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
- ^ "Taipei 101 to open top floor to public for the first time". YouTube. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021.
- ^ "Sears Tower unveils 103rd floor glass balconies", USA Today, July 1, 2009.
- ^ "The Ledge at Skydeck Chicago". Archived from the original on June 8, 2011. Retrieved May 15, 2011. SOM.com Project Page.
- ^ BJ Lutz (30 May 2014). "Coating on Willis Tower Skydeck's Ledge Cracks Under Tourists". Nbcchicago.com. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
- ^ Sophie Lewis (12 June 2019). "Protective layer of Willis Tower's SkyDeck cracks under visitors' feet". cbsnews. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ "The Empire State Building". Wired New York. Retrieved 23 December 2007.
- ^ "Etihad Towers T1 - The Skyscraper Center". Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. 2013. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013.
- ^ "Смотровая площадка Башня Федерация".
- ^ "thyssenkrupp Elevator". TK Elevator (in German). Retrieved 6 April 2021.
- ^ "Открытие смотровой площадки в БЦ "Высоцкий"".
- ^ "Aiguille du Midi : Inauguration nouvelle attraction le Tube". June 2016.
- ^ Coldwell, Will (19 December 2013). "Step into the Void: The glass skywalk at the top of the French Alps – in pictures". The Guardian.
- ^ "Visit Guangdong's Highest Sky Corridor Waterfall Walkway in China | the Asian Magazine".
- ^ "World's tallest and longest glass bridge closes after just two weeks". Dezeen. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ "Jasper National Park Glacier Skywalk Travel Information".
- ^ China has banned the construction of skyscrapers in 2021.
- ^ Watch the livestream to the Merdeka 118 Tower Spire Completion Ceremony here!, retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ^ "Millennium-Tower: So grün wird Frankfurts neuer Rekord-Wolkenkratzer". Top Magazin Frankfurt (in German). 15 December 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
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